This invention relates to a tape printing apparatus including an ejection mechanism for lifting a mounted tape cartridge from a cartridge compartment.
A tape printing apparatus including a conventional ejection mechanism has been proposed e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9-277678. The ejection mechanism is comprised of an ejection plate (lift plate) for supporting a tape cartridge in a cartridge compartment, an X-shaped link for lifting and lowering the ejection plate, and a spring for causing the X-shaped link to operate.
In the apparatus, when a lid-opening button is depressed, a lid of the cartridge compartment is caused to pop up to be half opened. Then, when the lid is manually fully opened from this state by the user, the ejection mechanism is unlocked, and the urging force of the spring causes the X-shaped link to operate to lift the ejection plate, whereby the tape cartridge is lifted from the cartridge compartment.
Reversely, when a tape cartridge is placed on the lifted ejection plate and pushed deep into the cartridge compartment, the ejection plate is lowered against the urging force of the spring and eventually locked, whereby the tape cartridge is properly mounted in the cartridge compartment.
In the conventional tape printing apparatus, the ejection plate is at its uppermost position when a tape cartridge has been removed, so that when a tape cartridge is mounted, it is required to push the tape cartridge deep into the cartridge compartment together with the ejection plate, which makes the operation troublesome. Further, if the lid is closed erroneously when the ejection plate is at its uppermost position, an inconvenience can occur that the lid is disassembled from the apparatus.
Further, while the ejection plate supports a tape cartridge thereon for printing when it is at its lowermost position, the X-shaped link supports the ejection plate. This tends to make the supported tape cartridge unstable as to a level state (levelness) and shaky due to the structure of the ejection mechanism, which makes it difficult to print accurately on a printing tape.
It is an object of the invention to provide a tape printing apparatus in which a cartridge-ejecting function by an ejection mechanism and a cartridge-holding function by a cartridge compartment are separated from each other based on a simple construction.
According to claim 1 of the invention, a tape printing apparatus including a cartridge compartment for removably mounting a tape cartridge therein, and an ejection mechanism for lifting the tape cartridge mounted, from the cartridge compartment is characterized in that the cartridge compartment has a bottom thereof formed with a seat portion for seating thereon the tape cartridge in a mounted state, and a lift plate of the ejection mechanism for lifting a tape cartridge is positioned away from the tape cartridge seated on the seat portion when the lift plate is in a standby state.
According to this construction, the lift plate of the ejection mechanism is positioned away from a tape cartridge seated on the seat portion when it is in a standby state. Therefore, the tape cartridge is used for printing in a state seated on the seat portion, and the lift plate receives the tape cartridge from the seat portion as it moves upward, to lift the same from the cartridge compartment. The seat portion is fixedly arranged, so that the tape cartridge seated on the seat portion is stably and accurately positioned for printing.
Preferably, the cartridge compartment has a support member arranged therein for holding the tape cartridge in a lifted state, and the lift plate immediately returns to its standby state after having been lifted to transfer the tape cartridge to the support member.
According to this construction, since the lift plate immediately returns to its standby state after having lifted a tape cartridge, a new tape cartridge can be loaded without any consideration of the lift plate. Further, since the lifted cartridge is transferred to the support member, it is possible to hold the tape cartridge in the lifted state even after the lift plate has returned to its standby state.
Preferably, the support member also serves as a holding nail for immovably holding the tape cartridge.
According to this construction, it is possible to use the holding nail serving as a support member, not only to immovably hold a tape cartridge on the seat portion, but also to hold a lifted tape cartridge in the lifted state. Further, since the holding nail also serves as a support member, an increase in number of component parts is prevented.
Preferably, the seat portion is formed by three seat members arranged separately from each other.
According to this construction, the three-point support by the three seat members makes it possible to hold a tape cartridge on the seat portion in a stable state without making the same shaky.
Preferably, the ejection mechanism comprises a lift plate for lifting a tape cartridge, link means for causing translation of the lift plate such that the lift plate can be lifted and lowered, and a motor for operating the link means.
According to this construction, the ejection mechanism can be operated automatically. Therefore, the ejection mechanism is not required to be interlocked with the lid of the cartridge compartment, or the like, which makes it possible to drive the ejection mechanism only when required.